Political Week on Twitter: March 12th – 19th
Basketball, an NHS defeat and yet another Boris gaffe graced the twittersphere this week.
Compiled by Alex Stevenson Follow @alex__stevenson
This was the week when David Cameron and Barack Obama found mutual benefit in their special relationship – or essential relationship – call it what you like, really…
Q Why Obama so nice to Cameron? A2 PM in election year "There are 3things about Barack: his strength, his moral authority, and his vision"
Featured Majority of respondents use social media at least once a day, survey of doctors finds.
Featured UK absent from multinational statement calling out global persecution of the non-religious
— Nick Robinson (@bbcnickrobinson) March 15, 2012
It didn't take long for the accompanying journalists to be impressed by the welcome the Americans were offering the UK PM:
Cameron and Obama to do joint TV interview later during break at basketball. Very unusual for US pres. Red carpet treatment all round.
— James Chapman (Mail) (@jameschappers) March 13, 2012
… even if some parts of the trip were more ridiculous than others…
“I’m enjoying it,” says Mr Cameron on the basketball. “It’s hard to follow, sometimes, exactly who has done what wrong.”
— Nico Hines (@NicoHines) March 13, 2012
David Cameron is to be greeted in Washington by a man called Randy Bumgardner. I'm not making this up. He's Obama protocol guy
— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) March 13, 2012
Still, our intense interest in the trip wasn't necessarily reflected stateside.
Obama-Cameron love-in big news here. There, barely a dog has barked. Didn't make headlines on CBS.
— James Macintyre (@James_Macintyre) March 14, 2012
Back home in domestic politics, the biggest event of the week was perhaps the Liberal Democrat conference.
Lib Dems going to card vote on NHS vote.V V close.Leadership shd b v worried.
— norman smith (@BBCNormanS) March 11, 2012
In the end Lib Dems adopted an utterly equivocal position on the health and social care bill. It neither welcomed the changes won by its party leader, nor called for the legislation to be scrapped completely.
Hurrah 4 grassroots LibDems showing some bottle re. NHS. Will it make any difference at Government level tho?
— Sally Bercow (@SallyBercow) March 11, 2012
Tuesday saw Labour doing its best to encourage Lib Dem rebels in their opposition day debate on the issue.
It is time for all parties to put the NHS first and political considerations aside – @andyburnhammp bit.ly/xydaqt
— Labour Press Team (@labourpress) March 11, 2012
Not all their MPs were getting the 'be nice to Lib Dems' message, however…
Weekend shows that the LibDems are just an unprincipled, self-serving rabble who only exist to prop up the Tories as they dismantle the NHS.
— Michael Dugher (@MichaelDugherMP) March 11, 2012
… and the result was an emphatic win for the coalition.
UK MPs vote against Lib Dem amendment calling for #NHS reform bill to be dropped, by 314 votes to 260 bbc.in/ypuYQB
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) March 13, 2012
Still, the debate goes on.
#NHS should be protected but not at all cost. Needs to be more efficient. Cut non essential "managers", etc.
— Rob Williams (@RobWilliams1973) March 16, 2012
So the obvious response to that is to dismantle the NHS and set an even lower tax rate for the super-rich to evade.
— Paul Graham Raven (@PaulGrahamRaven) March 16, 2012
This was also the week for some regrettable statements and actions – and apologies for them. An example of the former was Boris Johnson…
Boris Johnson sorry about calling St Pat's event 'lefty Sinn Fein crap' fb.me/1J6wJUGq7
— Belfast Telegraph (@BelTel) March 13, 2012
Boris just lost himself the Irish vote…Irish equals approx 4% of London pop. Idiot.independent.ie/national-news/…
— Ruth-Ann Shields (@rashield) March 13, 2012
What a grovelling bastard. Surely no right-thinkingIrish person in London would vote for this little racist? fb.me/154DMlyRz
— sam millar (@Thebrinksman) March 13, 2012
… while Eric Joyce's apology to the Commons was definitely an example of the latter.
@NadineDorriesMP thanks, Nadine. I don't, actually, deserve compassion. But decent humanity's the preserve of the human. And that'll b u. e
— Eric Joyce MP (@ericjoyce) February 28, 2012
Pretty sure Eric Joyce made a "personal statement" already when he got hammered and headbutted an MP…
— Mark Wallace (@wallaceme) March 9, 2012
If Eric Joyce hangs on til General Election, he'll get resettlement grant worth up to 6 months salary. If he resigns before then – he won't.
— Sophy Ridge (@SophyRidgeSky) March 9, 2012
